Electric controller for pumps.



No. 723,842.l PATENTED MAR. s1, 1903. Ic. P. DEW.

ELECTRIC CONTROLLER FOR PUMPS.

APPLIOATIONHLBD MAY 6, 1902. No MODEL. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTE-MAR. i, 190s.

Vc. F. DEW. BLBGTRIG coN'.l.RoI.1;.ERv FOR PUMPS.

AIPPIJIOATIYONA FILED MAY 6, 1902.

F0 MODEL.

110.723,842. 1 PATENTED.MAE.31,1903. y

o. E. DEW. C

ELEGTRIC CONTROLLER FOR PUMPS.

APPLIOATION FILED nu e, 1902.

no MODEL. I 4 SHEETS-SHEET a.

worws Ferias cn. PNoru-LrTHo.. WA

PATENTED MAR. 31 1903.

c. P. DEW. y

ELECTRIC CONTROLLER FORI BUMPS.

v APPLICATION FILED MAY 61,1902- N0 MODEL. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

{www} lx CC wf l I l N R N en N5 /Lf j/W//f fd/' Z610.

N@ OMM circuit and a magnet for action on the throtvpanying drawings, wherein like characters UNTTED STATES PATENT QEEICE.

CHARLES E. DEW, oE MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

ELECTRIC CONTROLLER FOR PUMPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters ratent No. 723,842, dated March 31, 1903. Application filed May 6,1902. Serial No. 106,123. (No model To all whom. it may con/cern:

.Be it known that LGHARLES F. DEw,a citi-4 Zen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Controllers for Pumps; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its especial object to provide an improved device for controlling pumps in hydraulic elevator systems; and to this end it consists of the novel 'devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described, and defined in the claims.

As is well known to all persons familiar with the subject of hydraulic elevator systems, the water which is used to propel the elevators is forced by a heavy force-pump into an elevated tank. The pump is usually located in the basement of a buiding, while the elevated water-tank is located at the top of the building. Hitherto mechanical connections have been provided whereby the pump will be thrown out of action when the water in the tank reaches a certain altitude and will be again thrown into action when the Water drops below a certain altitude. These connections, however, on account of the great distance between the pump and the tank, have been very unreliable and for many reasons unsatisfactory.

In accordance with my invention I pro-` vide an electrical controller involving a iioat# actuated element for opening and closing the tlc-valve of the steam-engine element of the pump.

The invention is illustrated in the accomindicate like parts throughout the several` Views.

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, showing a steam-actuated force-pu mp, such as ordinarily employed in hydraulic elevator systems. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the tank, some parts being broken away. v Fig. 3 is a detaihon an enlarged scale,showing the parts which cooperate to open and close the circuit.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line .r4 004 of Fig. 3.,

looking upward. Fig. 5 is a section on the line m5 m5 of Fig. 3 looking downward. Fig. A6 is a view, partly in front elevation, but 4principally in section, on the line m6 cc of Fig. l. Fig 7 is a vertical section taken through the valvecase of the throttle-valve approximately on the line @07.117 of Fig. 6, and Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic View showing the Wiring.

The numeral 1 indicates as an entirety a heavy steam-driven pump having a waterinlet pipe 2 and water-outlet pipe 3. The pipe 2 extends from any suitable source of water-supply, and the pipe 3 leads upward and opens into the elevated tank 4. The ele. vated tank 4 is provided with an outlet-pipe 5, from which water is drawn off to operate the elevators in the usual way. In the pump illustrated the steam-cylinders receive steam l from a steam-supply pipe 6, in which is interposed an automatically-controlled throttlevalve (indicated as an entirety by the numeral 7) and preferably,also, a hand-controlled throttle-valve, (indicated as an entirety by the numeral 8.) "The construction of the valve 7 is best illustrated 'in Figs.v 6 and 7, wherein the numeral 9 indicates the case of the said valve provided With'twin seats 10 and with upwardly and downwardly extended caps 11 and 12 respectively The direction of the ow of steamthrough the valve-case 9 is indicated by arrows in Fig. 7. A twin or double valve-head 13 cooperates with the twin seats 10. Said valve-head 13 is provided. with an upwardly-projecting stem 14, which works through a suitable stuffing-box 15 in the cap 1l and is provided with a similar depending stem 16, which works through a studing-box 17 in the lower cap 12. At vits upper end the stem 14 is provided with a head 18,

which is constructed of soft iron and serves f as an armature. A spring 19, coiled around the stem 14 and compressed between the ar. mature 18 and. the stuffing-box 15, cushions the downward or opening movement of the IOO erably directly to the lower cap 12, by means of a clamping-nut 22 is a rectangular metal frame 23, which is sectioned at itsupper end and is constructed ot' brass or other non-magnetic metal.

The numeral 24 indicates a magnet wound around a soft-iron core 25, which is provided with rectangular depending and inturned pole-pieces 26, which pole-pieces, as shown, are directly bolted to the upper end of the frame 23 by short nutted bolts 27. The polepieces 2G directly overlie the armature 18, as best shown in Fig. 6. Leads or circuit-wires 28 extend from .the opposite terminals of the coil 24 to the elevated tank 4, at which point they are secured by binding-screws 29 to contact-plates 30, which contact-plates are secured to a bracket 31, of rubber, wood fiber, or other insulating material, and which bracket is rigidly secured to the tank 4. Between the contact-plates 30 the bracket 31 is bifurcated to form a passage 32.

The numeral 33 indicates a rope or other flexible connection which runs over guidesheaves 34, mounted in a bracket 35, secured on the upper edge of the tank 4, as best shown in Fig. 2. At its inner end the rope 33 is attached to a tloat 36, and at its outer end it is provided with a weight 37. The depending outer section of the rope works in the passage 32 of the bracket 3 1,and j ust above the contact-plates 30 it is provided with a circuit-closing block or element 38, preferably formed by a pair of wooden clamping-sections 38, having secured to the lower end thereof a slotted metal disk 381. (Best shown in Figs. 3 and 4.) The clam ping-sections 38"l are adjustably clamped onto the rope 33 by a split clamping-ring 38.

.e indicates water contained within the tank 4. The float 36 is of such weight that when the column of water is lowered partially out of contact therewith it will fall with the water and will raise the weight 37 and circuitcloser 38, and thereby carry the metal contact-disk 38b upward and out of contact with the contact-plates 30, and thereby break the circuit 28 and cause the magnet 24 to be deenergized. On the other hand, the weight 37 bears such relation to the float 36 that when thelatteris partially submergedin the column of waterz it will draw downward the circuitcloser 38 and force the contact-disk 38" into engagement with the contact-plates 30, thereby closing the circuit and causing the magnet 24 to be energized.

As shown in Fig. 8, the circuit 28 also preferably includes resistance-lamps 39, a battery or source of energy 40, and a switch 41, which switch is normally closed, but is adapted to be opened to break the circuit. By means of the switch 42 the automatic device may be cut out of action.

From the description and illustration already given it is evident that when the water in the tank is low the circuit will be broken, the magnet 24 denergized, the valve-head 13 held in an open position, and steam will be admitted into the steam-cylinders of the pump, thereby throwing the pump into action and pumping water into the tank. Itis also evident that when the water rises to the predetermined altitude the circuit 28 will be closed, the magnet 24 energized, and the valve-head 13 drawn upward into a closed position by the magnetic action of the magnet 24 .on the armature 18. When said valve-head 13 is closed, it of course cuts o the supply of steam to the steam-cylinder of the pump, and thereby throws the pump out of action and temporarily discontinues the supply of water to the said tank 4. The valve will of course be thus held closed until the water in the tank is again lowered, whereupon it will be again opened in a manner already described.

As is evident, the device above described, while extremely simple and of small cost, may be easily applied regardless of the distance between the pump and the tank and regardless of the irregular course which the connections must take.

By actual usage 1 have demonstrated the el'liciency of the device for the purposes had in view. It is of course capable of considerable modification within the scope of my invention as herein set forth and claimed.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. The combination with a tank or receptacle and a Huid-actuated pump having connections for delivering water thereto, of a throttle-valve controlling the supply of the motive [luid to said pump and having an axial stem equipped with an armature, said Valve being movable axially to and from closed positions, an electric circuit extending from lOO said tank to said pump and including a magnet having a pole-piece cooperating with said armature to move said valve in one direction, means for yieldingly moving said valve in the other direction, and means for opening and closing said circuit involving an element subject to the water within said tank.

2. The combination with an elevated tank and a Huid-actuated pump having connections for delivering water thereto, of a throttle-valve, controlling the supply of the motive fluid to said pump and having reversely projecting stems with cushioningsprings applied to both stems thereof, an armature on one of said valve-stems, an electric circuit extending from said tank to said pump and including a magnet having pole-pieces positioned for cooperation with said armature, a float subject 'to the water within said tank, and a circuit-breaker connected to said float and actuated thereby, substantially as described.

3. The combination with an elevated tank and a fluid-actuated pump having connections for delivering water thereto, of a throttle-valve for controlling the supply of motive fluid to said pump, said valve having reversely-projecting stems with cushioning- IIO springs applied to both of said stems and one and the adjustable head or block secured on of said stems having an armature secured the outer section `of said connection 33 and thereto, of the frame 23 secured to the case provided With the metal contact disk 0r cirof said throttle-valve, the magnet 24 having cuit-closer, said parts operatingsubstantally pole-pieces 26 secured to said frame 23 in pol as described.

sition for coperation with said armature, an In testimony whereof I Aaffix my signature electric circuit including said magnet 24 and in presence of two Witnesses. contact-plates 30, an insulating shelf or supl port for said contact-plates 30, the flexible CHARLES F' DEW' connection 33 running oversuitable guides on i the tank and provided at its inner end with a i float 36 and at its outer end with the Weight 37, l

Vitnesses:

ELIZABETH I-I. KELIHER,` F. D. MERCHANT. 

